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Product Description
SEE MORE MOUSTERIAN NEANDERTHAL TOOLS
For comparison prices, please see the "Old World Typology and Price Guide" section of the "OVERSTREET IDENTIFICATION AND PRICE GUIDE TO INDIAN ARROWHEADS" editions 7th, 8th and 9th.
The form and execution of this extraordinary AMYGDALOID hand axe was fashioned by a Neanderthal in classic MOUSTERIAN TRADITION. Unlike their much larger predecessors of the Sahara during the Acheulean, Mousterian handaxes are much smaller in comparison. Not only are Mousterian hand axes considered some of the rarest and most prized tools of the Neanderthals, this exquisite genuine specimen is a MUSEUM-CLASS example. It was fashioned out of white Bergerac flint that was surely prized by its Neanderthal artisan as it would have stood out where most tools were made of dull and dark flint colors. You could not ask for a MORE PERFECT almond-shaped form in a Neanderthal hand axe. The tip is sharply pointed and perfectly intact as it was originally made. The delicate Levallois flaking and secondary retouch over the entire surface, by a true master Neanderthal flint-knapper, has yielded a smooth shape and quality of form that we have SELDOM seen in Mousterian tools like this. It is so impressively made and perfectly preserved that it was more likely an object of prestige because the effort to flake such a stunning masterpiece went way beyond what would have been needed for normal utilitarian use.
There is not a single bit of modern damage anywhere. The axe fits well in hand and on the bulbous flaked side, a flake had been removed to create a well-made grip - an indication of prehistoric human ingenuity in ergonomic, intelligent design. The entire perimeter and faces show expert Neanderthal secondary retouch to execute a stunningly well-made, profile. Delicate pointed tip is still intact and unbroken which is EXTREMELY RARE for specimens like this. The entire surface features a rich patina and ancient mineral deposits deep in these microscopic crevices and hinge fractures - irrefutable evidence of prehistoric age, authenticity and lack of any modern alterations. This is one of the nicest and most attractive Neanderthal hand axes we have offered in quite some time.
This rare hand axe was fashioned by Neanderthals over 40,000 years ago and discovered in a Middle Paleolithic site in France. Fine quality Mousterian Neanderthal tools are rare and often move from one private collection to the next as most sites are now depleted, destroyed, built over and all are protected by law forbidding modern day digging. It is probable by simple logistics, that over time, high grade archeological tools will most definitely appreciate as collector demand continues to outpace the finite supply circulating amongst collectors that buy pieces and never resell. Investment aside, no Paleolithic collection should be without representative tools of one of the most famous primitive humans in history!
